Ellis Genge, who plays for the Leicester Tigers, was racially abused on Twitter following the club’s victory in the English Premiership.
Genge helped the Tigers beat the defending champions, the London Irish, 15-12, in the final of the English Premier League. The victory was secured through Freddie Burns’ drop goal.
After six and a half years with the Tigers, Genge is set to join the Bristol Bears this summer. Genge thanked the team’s fans on Twitter following the team’s victory over the defending English Premier League champions, the Leicester Tigers.
“Over the moon for this group to win something so special and share the moments with family even more so. Hope you’ve all enjoyed the ride, thank you Leicester Tigers for all you have given me and my family,” wrote Genge on social media.
After sharing a message with his 63,000 followers, Genge received a direct message from someone claiming to be from a rugby team. In the message, the individual said they had a mutual friend and then used a racial slur.
Genge urges government to take action
Genge took the identity of the person who sent the message down but noted that it’s still a massive issue that needs to be discussed. He also said that it’s important to note that this behaviour is not only a part of a legitimate account but also a common occurrence.
“On another note, think it’s important to highlight that this [social media abuse] is still a massive problem, from a legit account too. Not here for a headhunt hence the blackout, common occurrence and socials/law should come down on it,” said Genge.
Over the past couple of years, the number of racist and sexist messages that have been sent to prominent sports personalities on social media has increased. Due to social media platforms’ pressure, they have started to drop the anonymity feature to identify the responsible individuals.
Genge, from Knowle West, revealed in 2018 that he and England’s head coach Eddie Jones were both racially abused during the team’s tour of South Africa. In 2020, he also complained about the BBC after it used an inappropriate picture of Lewis Ludlam during a story about him.
The 27-year-old athlete delivered an emotional speech after the Tigers won the English Premier League title in May. Genge thanked the fans and the team for their support during his time with the Leicester Tigers.
The 6-foot-1 prop, who suffered a large wound on his right eye during his speech, admitted that he cried when he talked about his time with the Tigers. Genge said he was a “scritch” from Knowle West when he first joined the team in 2016.
Genge stated that playing for the Tigers has given him a lot of prestige, and he made some lifelong friends. The former Bristol Bears player also noted that he was able to interact with some of the greatest players in the club’s history.
“So for me to come to a club with so much prestige, all those greats who have played before him to be a small part of that is brilliant. I’ve made some lifelong friends, people who I’d never even thought I’d even chat to, let alone be mates with,” Genge said.
